Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

CORALVILLE – As they prepped for the state tournament Jackie Clubb and her Clear Creek Amana team saw the Class 4A bracket as wide open.

In a field without a clear cut favorite the Clippers saw an opportunity.

On Monday third-ranked Clear Creek Amana looked every bit like a team capable of seizing that opportunity.

Julia Schlarbaum and Bailey Simpson combined for 25 kills and the Clippers had 10 ace serves in a dominating 25-14, 25-18, 25-11 sweep of defending state runner-up Sioux Center (22-10) in a 4A state quarterfinal at Xtream Arena in Coralville.

“I think that knowing that it’s anybody’s game in 4A has helped their confidence,” Clubb said. “They need to know that, they need to know the expectation is to be there. They’ve had some experience, we’ve been here, we know what to expect.”

Schlarbaum had a match-high 14 kills and had seven of the Clippers’ 10 ace serves and Simpson added 11 kills as Clear Creek Amana returned to the 4A semifinals for the second consecutive season and fourth time in five years.

Clear Creek Amana (34-6) will face second-ranked Davenport Assumption (26-7) in a 4A semifinal on Wednesday at 12:35 p.m.

“I think the girls having the mindset that it can be anyone’s tournament is good and they want to prove that to themselves and to everyone else,” Clubb said. “This group has been about the we over me, they know it is going to take more than one person on our team and they want to share the positivity.”

Clear Creek Amana was razor sharp from the outset on Monday.
The Clippers never trailed in the opening set taking control with a 7-0 run that started with a Simpson kill and closed with a Payton Curtin ace serve.

The 7-0 run turned an 8-6 lead into a 15-6 cushion for the Clippers.

“I feel like we played really well,” Curtin said. “In some aspects maybe we’ve been better here and there but overall I think that was one of the best games we’ve played this season.”

Clear Creek Amana snapped a 3-3 tie in the second set with a 7-0 run that was fueled by four ace serves from Schlarbaum.

The South Dakota commit had five of her seven aces in the second set as Clear Creek Amana seized control of the match.

“We just really want to win and it’s a good group of girls so we really want to go far this year,” Schlarbaum said. “I feel like we played all together as one and we weren’t individual people out there which led us to the win.”

Schlarbaum added a team-high 12 digs in the win to go with her 14 kills and seven ace serves.

“She does everything, she is awesome,” Curtin said of Schlarbaum. “Kills, aces, defense. All around the table she is a great player.”

Clear Creek Amana scored the first six points of the third set and never let the Warriors back in.

Delaney Vaske added three kills and two ace serves and freshman Payson Ellard had two kills for the Clippers which hit .231 as a team.

Curtin finished with 23 assists and eight digs.

“We wanted to move the ball around,” Curtin said. “We wanted to keep them guessing as much as we could on where it was going and obviously we have girls that are going to get the ball but the fact that everyone can put a ball away is great. We have lots of options.”

Clear Creek Amana has lost its previous two semifinal appearances last season and in 2023 and is seeking its first state title game trip since 2022.

The Clippers see an opportunity to change that on Wednesday.

“Together as a team we work so well,” Curtin said. “The flow of our team this year is great, the attitudes are awesome and we work really well together.”

Sioux Center                            14  18  11

Clear Creek Amana              25  25  25

Sioux Center (Kills-aces-blocks)

Stella Heitbrink 7-0-1, Kate VandeHoef 0-1-0, Maryn Franken 9-1-4, Adison Brantsen 1-1-0, Taylor Holverson 2-0-4, Jorgia VanDeBerg 2-0-0, Amirah Bleeker 2-1-0, Totals 23-4-9.

Assists – Taylor Halverson 18, Adison Brantsen 2, Maryn Franken 1, Amirah Bleeker 1

Clear Creek Amana (Kills-aces-blocks)

Bailey Simpson 11-0-3, Julia Schlarbaum 14-7-0, Payton Curtin 0-1-0, Haydin Wauters 1-0-3, Delaney Vaske 3-2-2, Payson Ellard 2-0-3, Totals 31-10, 11.

Assists – Payton Curtin 23, Kendall Ronnfeldt 6

Did you enjoy this subscription free article? Help keep Your Prep Sports free by donating